Temporary Home
by SakuraLetters
Summary: Being a single mother, no matter where you are, is never easy. Rated due to future references to adult situations.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is SakuraLetters, awakening after a long absence. Inspiration has been missing for the past few months, and school has been insanity. Anyway, this my first fic for this category, and I apologize ahead of time for any OOCness, or anything like that. Like I said, inspiration has be missing lately and I'm still recovering from a huge case of writer's , and I've read pretty much all the manga online (but I'm buying the manga now!) and have only seen about 13 or 14 episodes via YouTube.  
**

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, own nothing here but the plot and the baby. _Fullmetal Alchemist_ belongs to the brilliant Hiromu Arakawa, not me. Carrie Underwood owns the song _"Temporary Home"_, which provides the inspiration for this fic. Pre-chapter quotes come from the middle of the song.  
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Young mom on her own, she needs a little help, got nowhere to go.**_

_**-"Temporary Home", by Carrie Underwood**_

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Being a single mother was not something to be proud of, and it was a little hard to keep from holding her head in shame as the train rolled through the countryside. The infant girl slept in her mother's arms, blissfully unaware of the demoralizing stares from the other occupants in the car.

Winry Rockbell was, at nineteen, a single mother. If it weren't for her sleeping angel of a daughter, Winry would have probably snapped at the other people hours ago. She hadn't failed to notice how everyone seemed to avoid her as though she had the plague. Part of Winry wished her grandmother was still alive. Pinako had been disappointed in her granddaughter's apparent carelessness when she entered a physical relationship (_one night stand_, a cruel voice in the back of her head mocked), but she had accepted it and had been all sorts of helpful. The old woman's death had effectively removed every protection Winry had.

Now she was traveling to Rush Valley, forced to endure the harsh, judgmental looks of others. Oh, how she wanted to just tear everyone who could hear a new one and question just what was so wrong about having a child, no matter the circumstance. But Winry wouldn't do a thing; her daughter didn't need to hear her mother lashing out at others just because she still felt the pain of her loss.

"…_witless tramp…"_

"…_so young…not even married…"_

"…_father's probably run off…"_

That last one broke something in Winry. That was a main reason he had always been so hesitant to enter a relationship with her: he was so afraid he would turn out like his father. If he had any idea, Winry just knew he would go into a bout of self-loathing. She tightened her hold on the sleeping infant.

It was all she could do to keep from crying.

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**Forgive the shortness, honorable readers! Also, once more I beg for you to forgive any OOCness, but, given the situation I've put Winry in, I don't think I'd act like I normally do, either. I tried my best to make her as in-character as possible. Please, tell me what you think about it. If you have any helpful tips, feel free to share them. Until next time!**

**-SakuraLetters  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, honorable readers! I must say, the inspiration for this story is staying longer than usual. Not that I'm complaining! Anyway, thanks to those who review last chapter. I hope I can keep it up! **

**EDIT: I changed the city name from Dublith to Rush Valley (Can't believe I mixed those two up...^////.////^;) Thanks Don't Call Me Short for pointing that out! (1/28)**

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, own nothing here but the plot and the baby. _Fullmetal Alchemist_ belongs to the brilliant Hiromu Arakawa, not me. Carrie Underwood owns the song _"Temporary Home"_, which provides the inspiration for this fic. Pre-chapter quotes come from the middle of the song.**

**Now, without further delay, on with the fic!  
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She's looking for a job, looking for a way out, 'cause a halfway house will never be home.**_

_**-"Temporary Home", by Carrie Underwood**_

Two weeks of being in Rush Valley.

Winry had no idea that balancing work and the full-time job of being a parent could be so difficult. She was extremely grateful that Paninya and Mr. Garfiel were more than willingly to look after the baby girl when Winry was taking care of a particularly nasty repair.

Erika, the name Winry had picked for the child, was an energetic, giggly ball of cuteness that made anyone who met her fall head over heels in love with her. The child just couldn't stay in one position for long; always fidgeting and looking around. Erika had inherited her father's impatience; any idiot could tell how frustrated the infant was with her limited mobility.

Mr. Garfiel had insisted that Winry and Erika were no burden at all, though Winry remained unconvinced. She had toyed with the idea of moving to Central and getting an apartment once she had enough money. She could even set up an auto mail shop there. Of course, she would have to wait until Erika was a little older, about three or so.

If she was being truthful, Winry would say that she was planning of it just to keep herself from hearing the comments made by less-than-understanding people. That was why Rachael was a godsend. A beautiful woman in her early twenties with a rambunctious toddler, Rachel was also a single mother. It was on that link that the women built their friendship.

"I told you, Winry, it's not that we're _single_, it's that we never _married_. The older generation can't fathom a woman having a child out of wedlock and then _keeping_ the child. Think about it; most girls back then where married off about the time they could physically start having children. We weren't," Rachael explained as she rolled out the dough.

"I know, but it still makes me mad. People don't treat me the same anymore." Winry threw the lump of dough she was kneading down onto the wooden board. "I don't like how they all judge me or pity me."

"You feel like they're insulting Erika's dad, right?"

"Yes! Ed may not have been the best with emotions, but I just know he would have been happy to be a dad. Once he got over the initial shock and all. Could you hand me that rolling pin?"

Rachael handed the tool over without question. "I went through the same thing when James was killed. No one else knew—I was too distraught to say anything and he had no other family—and the whispers that went around and the looks I got before and after the birth were enough to almost shove me over the edge."

Rachael paused a moment, and grabbed a cookie cutter. "It took me four months to realize that it didn't matter what everyone else thought. They did not give birth to Jacob, nor were they responsible for raising him. It was all up to me. I decided right then and there that I would stop wallowing in self-pity and that I would do something productive with my life." Rachael firmly stamped the last free area of the dough, having been thoroughly stamping the crap out of it during her little speech. Winry was almost certain that there would be indents left in the counter. The smile on her friend's face, however, distracted the mechanic from that thought.

"You're lucky, Winry. Your personality simply refused to let you wallow like I did."

Winry thought back to the couple months she had holed up in her room, wishing Ed was there to help her out. "Remember that Ed isn't dead."

Rachael's smile faltered a bit, barely hiding the sorrow she felt for her friend. She was just too kind hearted to tell Winry that it was probably more likely that her daughter would never know her father like she did.

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**Rachael is one of those characters that really only exist to give the story a more real feel-not like the main characters are the only ones in the world. We will be hearing more from her, but I think from now on it might only be in the passing. It depends on where this story goes, I suppose. **

**Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! **

**-SakuraLetters  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again, honorable readers! I meant to get this up last night, but one of the cows calved and it's freezing here. Also, I apologize for the suckiness of this chapter. My nephew's dad is giving my sister a hard time, so things have been a little rocky around here. That and my new schedule at school is killing me. **

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, own nothing here but the plot and the baby. _Fullmetal Alchemist_ belongs to the brilliant Hiromu Arakawa, not me. Carrie Underwood owns the song _"Temporary Home"_, which provides the inspiration for this fic. Pre-chapter quotes come from the middle of the song.**_**

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At night she whispers to her baby girl, "Someday we'll find our place here in this world."**_

_**-"Temporary Home", by Carrie Underwood**_

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The funny thing about having a child to look after is that you begin to see things differently. You think more in terms of years than days. Winry didn't even realize it herself until one of her younger customers (too young to really judge her for being a single mother; Winry didn't know whether to be happy or sad about that) pointed it out to her.

The little boy (whose arm had been mangled in a freak accident hardly a year earlier) had become a sort of confident, in a way. Granted he was too young to fully appreciate the complexities of society, he offered a fresh perspective. He never failed to ask if he could see Erika, and would play with her if his older sister, an aspiring auto mail mechanic, wanted to watch Winry work. Erika loved the attention, and Winry didn't protest; it kept the infant (who had figured out how to walk more than a foot before falling) occupied and (for the most part) out of trouble.

Erika was about to turn a year old in a few weeks, and was starting to attempt speech. The utter humor in watching the little girl attempt to organize the (to her, random) syllables into an actual word only proved that Erika was being cared for by people with rather twisted senses of humor.

It had been almost two years since Winry had last seen the Elric brothers, and almost a year since Pinako died and Winry left Risembool. Winry had decided to teach her daughter about her father, and had often shown little Erika photographs of him and Alphonse as she told her stories about them. So, perhaps it was no surprise what Erika's first word would be.

It had been a rather quiet evening and Winry was taking the opportunity to go through some old photo albums with Erika. The year-old had settled comfortably in her mother's lap, completely engrossed in the photos Winry was showing her (yet another bit of proof that Ed was without a doubt the father; only his child could have that intense concentration). After a few minutes, Erika pointed to a photo of Ed and Winry in one of those rare moments when Ed was home. Winry had been torn between blushing like crazy and bursting into tears when she first found it. Still, Winry couldn't bring herself to part with it.

"Dada…" Erika said slowly, pointing at Ed.

Winry felt tears well up in her eyes. Erika looked up at her mother. "Dada?" she asked, seeking confirmation. Winry wiped the tears away and nodded.

"Yes, sweetheart, that's your daddy."

"Mama…no…cwy," Erika said, noticing the tears in Winry's eyes.

"It's okay, Erika," Winry said as she pulled her daughter into a hug. "Everything is going to be okay."

That night, with Erika sleeping soundly in her cradle, Winry counted the money she had saved up. If everything worked out, she would be able to get an apartment in Central soon and could stop imposing on Mr. Garfiel.

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**Once again, I apologize for the suckiness. I promise to do better next time. I think there are only about three or four more chapters left depending on how the story goes. I'm trying to use a "snapshot" writing style. It only works in small doses. T.T Please review!  
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**Until next time!**

**-SakuraLetters  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again! Sorry its taken me so long to post this. I just took the ACT and my brain is fried. I wasn't even able to finish the math section; four questions left unanswered! I won't even know my results for another five to eight weeks! Not to mention I've got Forensics coming up and I still have to memorize my monologue. Then I'm auditioning for the spring play at the end of the month, and I've got a booth at the craft show in March - raising money for my German class trip to Germany this summer! (And also to go to No Brand Con with my cousin and her anime club. The voice actor for Envy is going to be there! ^.^)**

**Anywho, enough of my rambling. On with the fic!  
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**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, own nothing here but the plot and the baby. _Fullmetal Alchemist_ belongs to the brilliant Hiromu Arakawa, not me. Carrie Underwood owns the song _"Temporary Home"_, which provides the inspiration for this fic. Pre-chapter quotes come from the middle of the song.**

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_**This is our temporary home; it's not where we belong.**_

_**-"Temporary Home", by Carrie Underwood**_

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Erika was a fast learner. Once she figured out the basics, she all but steamrolled through everything else. After a few weeks, Erika was speaking in complete sentences and only rarely mixed up words or grammar rules. (When she did, it was nothing short of comical to see her face immediately scrunch up as her mind attempted to work out what had gone wrong and correct it.) Currently she was trying to work out the mechanics of reading and writing. It never ceased to amaze Winry as she watched her daughter copy down the letters with the total concentration and seriousness one would use when diffusing a bomb. Of course, the letters meant nothing to her right now; to Erika, it was just another form of drawing.

The little blonde's talent with drawing was impressive. Just five months shy of two, Erika was working on fine-tuning her motor skills. Whenever her patience with the letters ran out, she would march into the shop and hoist herself up onto any available seat. Then she would devote herself to drawing whatever caught her eye first. Her favorite targets were flowers, followed by people. The customers would coo and giggle at the little girl, who completely ignored them unless she was drawing them. Then she would order them to hold still until she finished, her voice still full of the childish tone that only made anyone on the receiving end dissolve into giggles.

"If only mine were that quiet," a woman would sigh to her husband or a friend.

"Such a focused little runt, isn't she?" a boy would mutter to his friends, trying to disguise any pain he might still be feeling from the auto mail.

Of course, Erika always seemed to hear any comment pertaining to the term 'short', and react to it with all of the subtlety of her father. Needless to say, that boy was mindful of how he phrased his comments from that day forth.

No doubt that seeing her daughter grow made Winry smile like a fool, but she still felt that small yank on her heartstrings whenever Erika did something Ed-like. It was heart-breaking ironic that parent Erika took after most was the father she didn't know.

At night, when the crowd had died down and the world was preparing for a good night's sleep, Erika would set herself down in the living room and either draw or look through the albums. Sometimes Paninya would start up a silly little game with the toddler, which Erika would gladly take part in. Tonight, however, the pair had somehow gotten into a tickle war the likes of which Winry hadn't seen since she herself was knee-high.

"Aunt Paninya! That's no fair! I'm not as tall as you!" Insert childish giggles and shrieks of laughter.

"Come on, say it! Say it! I'll stop if you say 'uncle'!"

"Nuh-unh! No way!" Yet another shriek as Paninya lifted the one-and-a-half year old up off the floor.

"I know you wanna say it!"

"Ahaha—NEVER!"

"Alright then. Winry, is there any _**milk**_ left?"

"NO! NOT MILK!"

"Say 'Uncle'!"

"NEVER!"

"Oh, _Win-ry!_ Erika wants some milk! Could you get some?"

Winry smiled as yet another shriek of protest escaped from her daughter's mouth (_"No Mommy! Don't listen to Aunt Paninya! I don' want milk!"_). She entered the living room and almost burst out laughing at the sight. Erika was dangling upside down in Paninya's arms, flailing and laughing and loudly voicing her opinion of milk with as many adjectives as her limited vocabulary would supply. When Erika first noticed Winry, her beautiful golden eyes widened—her savior was here! Then she noticed the clear plastic cup in her mother's hands. Apple juice wasn't supposed to be white…

"NO MILK! UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE! NO MILK!"

"I win," Paninya said as she set Erika down.

"You cheated!" Erika threw on her best pouting face, although the effect was ruined by her still frequent giggles.

"All's fair in love and war, kiddo," Paninya replied as she ruffled the pouting blonde's hair. In retort, Erika stuck her tongue out.

"Don't stick your tongue out, Erika," Winry said with a smile as she set the milk down, "or a little birdie will come bite it."

"We're inside!" Erika's use of logic was as sharp as the paradigm-free mind of a child allowed it to be. A yawn quickly followed the comment, and Winry decided it was high time for Erika to hit the hay.

"I'm going to put Erika to bed, Paninya."

"Good night, kiddo."

"'Night, Aunt Paninya," Erika said with a yawn, snuggling into her mother's arms.

Winry made her way to the bedroom and flipped on the lights. The crib was rather plain—unpainted wood that was already chipped and scratched from decades of use by a variety of owners. Mr. Garfiel had been kind enough to let Erika use it. Winry set Erika on her bed and grabbed a pair of footie pajamas—red, Erika's favorite—from the dresser. After getting the toddler ready for bed, Winry gently set her in the crib.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, angel?"

"When are we going to that Central place?"

"Not a for awhile, sweetheart. Maybe not until you can start school."

"I like it here. Mister Garfiel and Aunt Paninya are nice." Erika was starting to dose off.

"Yes, but we can't stay here forever, sweetie. Now go to sleep. Sweet dreams."

"You (yawn) too, Mommy."

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**Wow, extra-long chapter this time. And we get to see Paninya! I don't know why, but I'm really hyper right now. Maybe it was because of all of that Dr. Pepper I drank. Ah well! Please review! **

**-SakuraLetters  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Konnichiwa! SakuraLetters here. Not much to say for this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, own nothing here but the plot and the baby. _Fullmetal Alchemist_ belongs to the brilliant Hiromu Arakawa, not me. Carrie Underwood owns the song _"Temporary Home"_, which provides the inspiration for this fic. Pre-chapter quotes come from the middle of the song.**_**

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Windows and rooms that we're passin' through.**_

_**-"Temporary Home", by Carrie Underwood**_

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Winry counted the money again, making sure she hadn't missed a single cenz. After mooching off of Mr. Garfiel's kindness for damn near three years, Winry had finally managed to save up enough money to buy that apartment she had found in Central, plus enough to live on for roughly half a year, leaving her time to either set up a shop or find a job. Just a few more months, and everything would be ready for Winry and Erika to move to Central. A childish part of Winry squealed in happiness at the thought of seeing Mrs. Hughes and Elysia and Miss Riza again. _Maybe I should send them a letter, let them know I'm moving to Central soon…_

With that thought in mind, Winry gathered up the money and placed it back into the wooden box her mother had given her years ago. _"Save enough, and one day you can have a beautiful wedding,"_ she had said. Winry knew she would probably never have a wedding. There was only one person she wanted to marry, and he had practically dropped off the face of the earth a little over three years ago. Winry shook her head, trying to prevent her thoughts from following that particular path. She grabbed a pen and some paper, and sat down on the bed. As she debated how to start the letters, Erika toddled in, holding her teddy bear (which she had affectionately named "Mr. Snuggles").

"Mommy? What'cha doing?"

"I'm writing a letter."

"To who?"

Erika threw Mr. Snuggles onto the bed and yanked herself up. She crawled over to her mother (rather awkwardly, seeing as she was dragging the bear with her) and then sat down on her legs.

"Just to some old friends. Remember the story Mommy told you about Mr. Hughes?"

Erika's face brightened as the name clicked. "Yep! You said he was always taking pictures."

"That's right. Well, Mommy's writing to his family. His daughter is missing her daddy, too."

Erika's smile faded. She saw her mother's face; it was sad too, but she couldn't keep the questions from bursting out. "Where is Daddy, Mommy? Didn't he want me? Doesn't he love us?"

"Erika, your father loves us very much." _He loved me, and I know he'd love you._ "I know he would have been thrilled to know you were coming."

The two-year-old's face displayed a curious expression and she tilted her head to the side. "'Would have been'? Doesn't he know 'bout me?"

Winry tried to smile a happy smile for her baby girl, she honestly did. What resulted, however, was a sad smile that barely attempted to hide the sorrow the young mother still felt. "No, sweetie. He disappeared before I could tell him." The tears welled up again. There wasn't a trace of doubt in her mind; if Ed had known, if he hadn't disappeared, he would have spoiled Erika rotten. The thought of Ed acting like Mr. Hughes was enough to force a choked laugh out of her throat. It was an odd mix of bittersweet and comical.

"I don't hate Daddy, Mommy."

That pulled Winry out of her thoughts. She wasn't sure if she had heard the word "don't", and fear immediately washed over her. Would Erika hate Edward like he had hated Hoenheim? Did she have to take after him in that aspect?

"What?"

"I don't hate Daddy."

Relief washed over Winry. Erika didn't hate Edward. Now, she could only pray that that wouldn't change.

"Mr. Garfiel said that Daddy hated his daddy for leaving him and his mommy and Uncle Al."

Winry almost blushed in embarrassment as she remembered that she had accidently let that slip out when she had been having one of several breakdowns when she first arrived in Rush Valley.

"I'm glad you don't hate your father, sweetie. Now, come give Mommy a hug."

Erika was more than happy to oblige, practically jumping into her arms. As Winry held her daughter, that evil voice in the back of her mind started listing off a multitude of reasons why Erika didn't feel any disdain for her father. Edward had watched his father walk out of his life. Erika had only ever seen her father in pictures. Edward had been old enough to remember watching his father leave. Erika hadn't even been born yet. Hoenheim had walked out on his family, knowing full well he had children. Winry hadn't even known she was pregnant until roughly two months after Ed had left.

Still, it was comforting to know that history wouldn't repeat itself.

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**Please review! I have to get going; I have to do a presentation on my trip to Japan soon. See you!**

**-SakuraLetters  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, once again! SakuraLetters is back with a new chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, own nothing here but the plot and the baby. _Fullmetal Alchemist_ belongs to the brilliant Hiromu Arakawa, not me. Carrie Underwood owns the song _"Temporary Home"_, which provides the inspiration for this fic. Pre-chapter quotes come from the middle of the song.**_**

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This is just a stop on the way to where we're going.**_

_**-"Temporary Home", by Carrie Underwood

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For a three-year-old with the all of the patience of her father, Erika was very well-behaved. The train had been moving for nearly an hour and, outside of the normal giddiness of riding a train, Erika had been rather calm. She had given up on drawing almost immediately as the movement of train prevent her from keeping her hand steady. Now she was leafing through a book Winry had gotten her for her third birthday. While the book was rather simplistic in its sentences and wording, there was a healthy amount of pictures: enough to hold Erika's interest, but not enough to make her grow bored with it too quickly.

Winry was studying a book on auto mail (what else?) when she felt some weight on her arm. She looked over and saw Erika had leaned into her, falling asleep from the combination of motion and lack of activity. Winry smiled and set her book down. The young mother gently removed the book and set it to the side and repositioned Erika so that she would be more comfortable.

"Excuse me, miss? Is anyone sitting here?"

Winry looked up to see an elderly couple. She blinked once and then smiled. "No, not to my knowledge. You can sit here, if you'd like."

"Thank you, dear," the old woman said with gratitude as her husband helped her onto the open bench. Both settled down, the woman letting out a deep sigh. She looked at Winry and Erika and smiled a warm, grandmotherly smile. "Is she yours?"

"Yes. Erika's my daughter," Winry said as she gently stroked Erika's hair.

"Are you going to meet your husband?"

Winry's smile faltered. "Actually, we never exactly…got married."

The old man frowned slightly. "Where is he?"

"He's…not with us." Winry mentally kicked herself for stating the obvious, but the couple seemed to take a different meaning. That seemed to mark the end of that particular path of the conversation. The elderly woman decided to return the topic to Erika.

"Such a lovely little girl. She looks just like you, dearie."

Winry smiled politely; she decided against pointing out that Erika most strongly resembled her father. It took all she had to keep her mind from listing every single thing the toddler had in common with him, from her hair and eye color to her hatred of milk to her napoleon complex.

"Thank you."

"I'm Sophie Coleman. This is my husband, Jacob."

"I'm Winry Rockbell."

"Are you related to Pinako Rockbell?"

"Yes. I'm her granddaughter."

Sophie smiled. "Pinako was the daughter of a friend of my father's. We were good friends growing up. Such a tomboy, that one! Of course it was Richard who sparked her interest in the auto mail business. They made such a cute couple; however, for a while there we were afraid she would never settle down. We fell out of touch not long after she and Richard met. Pinako went to Rush Valley to learn more about auto mail and I moved to Oak Grove."

"My grandmother taught me just about everything I know about auto mail."

"You're an auto mail engineer?"

"Yep."

"Wonderful to see young people taking in interest in how things work," Jacob said. "I lost my right foot to a rather nasty accident on the farm. I own my lack of a wheelchair to auto mail."

"I knew a boy who had auto mail installed for both his right arm and left leg at the same time." Winry smiled when she thought of Ed, but it was a sad smile as she remembered the blood and the pain and the fever. Of course, she couldn't remember that without remembering his determination and his resolve and all of his promises. _"The next time I make you cry, it will be tears of happiness!"_ _"We'll be back, Win. I promise." _

"Must have been one strong kid. I cried like a baby just getting a foot installed," Jacob mused.

Having been a mother eight times over, Sophie recognized the expression on Winry's face. She had seen it on her Charlotte's face when her fiancé had died in Ishbal, and once more on her little Mary's face when her best friend got hurt protecting her. "I'm guessing that boy is important to you?"

"Actually, he's Erika's father."

Understanding dawned on Sophie. It was heart wrenching to see the poor girl, who obviously still loved him very much, have to hold back the tears. Sophie knew just how hard it could be for a single mother—an unwed one at that—to find a place where she could be even a bit happy.

"Are you headed to Central, dear?"

Winry looked up at the woman, half grateful that the conversation had turned. "Yes. I have some friends there I haven't seen in awhile, and there's an apartment that I've saved up for. Erika will be starting school next fall, and I wanted to have at least one foot in the door before then."

"Will you be setting up an auto mail clinic?"

"Yes. I know business probably won't be as big as in Rush Valley, but there are probably people who lost limbs in that uprising almost four years ago. I would have moved to Central first without stopping at Rush Valley, but then I found out that I was pregnant. Besides, it would have been stupid to try to set up a shop when I had very little money and a child to look after."

"So you went to Rush Valley so you could save up some money? You handled things quite well, especially for having to go this all on your own," Sophie said, feeling a sense of relief and pride that at least one young mother had her head screwed on right.

"I wasn't completely alone," Winry said, softly stroking Erika's hair. "My grandmother helped me out for the first few months after the birth, and then my mentor and a friend helped me out when I was in Rush Valley."

"Why didn't you just stay with your grandmother, dear?"

Winry lowered her head. "Granny died a few months after Erika was born. She seemed perfectly fine, but that night, she just…died."

Sophie opened her mouth to say something as the train slowed to a stop.

"Sophie, darling, it's our stop," Jacob said as he slowly rose from the seat.

"It was lovely meeting you, Winry. I'm sorry if I've caused you any pain by prying into your personal life. At my age, it seems the only thing functioning properly these days is my mouth."

"It's alright; no harm done." Winry's smile was only half-hearted, and Sophie bit back a sigh.

"Take care of yourself now, young lady. Good luck in Central!"

"Thanks, I will." Winry waved until she could no longer risk turning for fear of waking Erika up. With a sigh, Winry picked up her book again and began to read. Well, she tried to, anyway. For some reason, her eyes just wouldn't focus on the text. Her mind wandered back to the old couple. They had seemed so happy together; Winry was somewhat jealous. She would never be able to grow old with the one she loved.

_Get used to it, Winry,_ she mentally berated herself, determined to focus on the text in her hands. _Don't be like Aunt Trisha, wasting away waiting for a man who might never come back. _

Erika let out a small yawn as the train began to move again. Winry once again found herself wishing that Edward was by her side. _Damn it, Ed, where are you? Erika needs you! _I_ need you! _

"Mommy, how long until we get to Central?"

"It'll be a little while longer, sweetheart. You can go back to sleep if you want."

With another yawn, Erika snuggled back into Winry and fell asleep.

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**There you go. I hope it was satisfactory. The next chapter is the last one, and I hope to have it up before the month is out! Remember, reviews make Erika smile!**

**-SakuraLetters  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again, and welcome back to the fic! 19 reviews thus far; I'm very happy! Unfortunately, this is the last chapter. However, I am beginning work on a sequel. Don't know for sure what I'm going to call it yet, though. **

**So, without further ado, on with the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I, SakuraLetters, own nothing here but the plot and the baby. _Fullmetal Alchemist_ belongs to the brilliant Hiromu Arakawa, not me. Carrie Underwood owns the song _"Temporary Home"_, which provides the inspiration for this fic. Pre-chapter quotes come from the middle of the song.**_**

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We're not afraid because we know this is our temporary home.**_

_**-"Temporary Home", by Carrie Underwood

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**_

The apartment wasn't much, but it would do, Winry decided as she set her suitcase down. Erika took off like a rocket, checking out their new home with an almost comedic amount of energy. A simple two-bedroom, one bathroom apartment in an average neighborhood with running water and electricity, plus it had a small shop area on the ground floor. It was perfect.

"Wow! Mommy, look! I can see a park from here! Can I go, Mommy? CanIcanIcanI?" Erika asked, practically bouncing off the walls.

Winry laughed, "Maybe tomorrow, sweetheart. It'll be getting dark soon. Now, which room do you want?"

Not surprisingly, Erika rushed into the one with the view of the park. Having spent the first years of her life in an urban environment, Erika loved looking out a window to see colors other than the various shades of tan, gray, yellow, and red that had made up Rush Valley.

"Mommy, when can I meet Mrs. Hughes and Elysia? You said that they live here, right? Oh, and what about Miss Riza? Can I meet her, too?"

"Calm down, Erika. Maybe we can visit Mrs. Hughes tomorrow."

Erika stopped bouncing off the walls, but what she now lacked in movement she made up for with her mouth running at a hundred miles a minute. Winry smiled as her daughter launched into a rant about some lady and her husband she had talked to during a rare moment when Winry was asleep. Half-tuned out as she set about opening a few boxes (she was bound and determined to get at least two boxes unpacked tonight) Winry was thankful she had had the boxes shipped here ahead of time. However, she froze when Erika launched into a description of the couple.

"The lady was really pretty, Mommy! She had yellow hair, just like you and me! And she had orange-ish eyes, too! Her husband had black hair and black eyes. They said they knew Daddy! They were really nice, too—"

Winry bit back a groan; if her suspicions were correct, her daughter had already met Miss Riza, and Roy Mustang. Still, Winry tried to convince herself that there could be dozens of people with similar coloring.

However, as Winry found out the next morning, her suspicions were, indeed, correct. That much she could gather when she opened the door to see Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang.

"Winry, how are you?" Riza asked, a smile on her face.

"I'm doing just fine, Miss Riza."

"Actually, it's Riza Mustang now." Riza lifted up her left hand to show a wedding ring.

"Congratulations! How long?"

"Oh, about ten years next Friday."

Winry's jaw dropped. "Ten years? But, you never—"

"Miss Rockbell, there was a fraternization law," Roy explained, jumping into the conversation. "If we hadn't kept our marriage a secret, we would have been executed. We've been keeping it hidden since the end of the Ishbal Civil War. We decided to go public when Olivia abolished the law."

"In other words, we had another wedding. We wanted to invite you, but we really had no idea where you were. You left Resembool without notifying anyone as to your destination," Riza finished. "Contrary to popular belief, the military is not omniscient."

The fact that the entire conversation had gone on at the door finally hit Winry and she moved aside. "You guys can come in, if you like. Sorry about the mess. We just got here ourselves."

"Mommy! Are we going to go see Mrs. Hughes today?" Erika asked as she rushed down the hall. She stopped and stared at Roy and Riza. After a few seconds, a smile spread on her face.

"That's the nice lady and her husband, Mommy!"

"Erika, this is Miss Riza, and her husband Roy Mustang."

The little girl's eyes got wide. "You're Miss Riza? Mommy said you're very nice! She was right!"

"Is she Fullmetal's?" Roy asked in a softer tone as Riza and Erika chatted.

"Yes, Ed is her father," Winry said with a nod. Something about Roy seemed…off, to say the least. His eyes were clouded and unfocused, which was highly unusual for what she knew of him.

"Colonel—"

"I'm not in the military anymore, Miss Rockbell. It's just Roy now."

"What? You quit?"

Roy chuckled, "No, I had no choice. After all, what good is a soldier who can't see?"

"You're blind?" It made sense now, Winry thought; the cloudy, unfocused eyes, Riza lightly leading him around (barely noticeable to those who didn't know them), why he had to ask that Erika was Edward's daughter (anyone who had ever met him could tell straight away that Ed was the father), everything. Now she only had one question: "When did that happen?"

"It was during the fight against Father, the 'Promised Day'. I was forced to open the Gate and had my sight taken away because of it."

The Promised Day. The day that took not only Edward but Alphonse away from her forever. There were so many questions about it that Winry wanted to ask—_who was Father? What exactly happened in Central? What happened to _Ed_?_—but now was neither the time nor the place to ask.

"Mommy! Miss Riza said that she and Mr. Roy were going on a picnic with Mrs. Hughes and Elysia and some other people too! Can we go too? Please, Mommy?"

Winry blinked, and then looked at Riza. "Is that why you two came up here without calling?"

Riza smiled—she was very pretty when she smiled, Winry thought to herself—"Technically yes. It was Gracia's idea, actually. Roy and I would have come to visit you anyway, after all we so happy to have heard from you, but this seemed to give it a bit more, ah, legitimacy."

"_Plea-se,_ Mommy?" Erika had on her puppy dog pout, one that Winry never seemed quite able to resist.

"Alright. We can go. Now go get your jacket, young lady. It's a little chilly outside." Central was defiantly chillier than Rush Valley had ever been, and the spring air still had faint wisps of winter.

"Okay, Mommy!" Erika skipped off, making excellent use of the unbelievable energy little kids are famous for. She was back almost as soon as she had left, a two-tone green windbreaker hastily thrown on, and she was all but dragging them out of the apartment.

Honestly, Winry had no idea where exactly Erika got her talkative streak—Ed most certainly was not one for words growing up (he usually preferred fists) and Winry had never exactly been a chatterbox—but she decided to just chalk it up to the almost insane amount of energy the little girl had. Erika just couldn't stay still for more than a few seconds, and even then it was a challenge.

Winry hadn't seen her friends in Central in years; she hadn't realized how much she missed them. Of course, when Armstrong ambushed her with a bone-crushing hug (like always), Winry remembered that there were defiantly things she missed less than others.

"Alex, darling, she's turning blue in the face."

Armstrong released Winry. "Sorry, Miss Rockbell. I haven't seen you in a long time and—"

"It's fine, Mr. Armstrong," Winry said with a smile, glad to finally breathe again. Erika was staring at Armstrong, her mouth wide open and her eyes wide in astonishment. What she said next nearly caused everyone in the group to die of laughter.

"Mommy! You didn't tell me there are giants here!"

"Why, hello Miss…"

"Erika! My name's Erika!"

It was really great catching up with some of her old friends. Armstrong was married now to a pretty woman with dark red hair, brown skin, and dark green eyes named Sabriel and had a son roughly Erika's age. Turns out Roy and Riza also had a son about the same age as Erika. Winry had been stunned into silence when she heard what the kid's name was.

"Edward Maes Mustang," Riza said as the parents watched their children playing not too far away. "We had decided to name our first son after Hughes, and then when Edward…disappeared—" Winry involuntarily flinched. "—we decided to name our first son after him too. Edward Maes sounded better than Maes Edward, so that's what we decided on."

Winry could see why Riza and Roy had settled on the name they did. Edward had Riza's eyes, that same amber color that was so close to her Ed's gold, and Roy's black hair. The tears came unbidden, and Winry didn't try to stop them. For the first time since Erika's birth, Winry wasn't crying because she was sad, and it felt great.

Coming to Central was turning out to have been a great call.

* * *

**I know you guys wanted to see Ed come back in this chapter, but unfortunately, this story didn't allow for it. Besides, it's a pretty over used plot-twist, don't you think? Trust me, I would like to see Ed come back as soon as possible, don't worry: he's far from gone. **

**Also, to clear up any confusion, I am following the manga, because that's were most of my experience with FMA lies. As far as background for this universe goes, Ed managed to do something that somehow reversed the transmutation Father had performed, hence why Winry and everyone is alive. Chapter 104 really messes with your head! T.T**

**Also, as far as Roy and Riza's kid goes...yeah, I just couldn't resist. ^.^ Both he and Armstrong's son will have big roles in the sequel (bet you can't guess how!)**

**Well, hoping to see you all again in the sequel,**

**-SakuraLetters  
**


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